Moon God Mates

Chapter 12

MASON’S POV:

The way Iris is acting makes me wonder if she knows the couple. We hurried away from back there. Despite my curiosity, I decide against asking. She seems too anxious to get away. I make a mental note to find out who they are later and why they made her so nervous. Right now, all I want is to revel in the fact that I am finally alone with my mate.

I glance between us, both of us drenched from the rain. We're definitely not dressed for dinner. "This is not how I imagined our first date," I blurt out before realizing I'd said it aloud.

"You imagined our first date?" Iris looks at me with a shy smile, and for a moment, I'm captivated by her beauty. I shift in my seat awkwardly. How do I explain to her that I've replayed our first date in my head countless times since the first moment I saw her, without scaring her off?

I peer out the window. "We could head to my place," I offer, turning back to see how she responds. Perhaps I can salvage this "date" by cooking dinner. I hadn't anticipated leaving with her, but when I saw Jay asking her out so casually, jealousy surged through me. I should be the one taking her out, no one else.

She's mine.

Iris starts fiddling with the steering wheel, her nerves evident. If only she knew that my heart is racing at the thought of being alone with my mate, amidst the pack. I can already anticipate the questions from Cole, but I'm committed. A grin escapes my lips involuntarily, catching Iris' attention.

“Look, I don’t know what you think this…” she begins.

Oh, s**t. I quickly cut her off, “No, of course not. I would never see this as just a hookup; you're way too important to me.” An awkward silence falls between us, intensified by the pounding rain on the windshield, echoing through the car.

“I just don’t think we should be driving in this,” I gesture out the window, “plus we're all wet. My house isn’t too far. I can cook, and you can head home when the rain calms.” What the hell... I just offered to cook. What am I turning into?

“If you’re uncomfortable, we can find a place for dinner,” I add. Honestly, I don’t care where we go; I just want to be next to her.

She sighs, “No, you’re right. Just until the rain lets up.”

I hide my smile this time as I guide her the rest of the way to the packhouse. I hope Cole isn’t shifting around in the living room. That guy is unpredictable, and I don't want anything to spoil this moment before I even have a chance to reveal my true self to her.

We pull up to the packhouse, and it dawns on me, “Hold on, you've been here before.”

“Yeah,” she says, turning off the ignition.

“Then why didn’t you stop me from directing you here?”

She smirks and shrugs, “It was kind of cute.”

☾☾☾

I quickly check that the house is empty before offering Iris one of my shirts to change into. Despite her insistence that she's fine, I finally persuade her to change into something dry. I could have fetched clothes from the pack girls, but selfishly, I wanted to see her in my shirt. Most of the pack members are in their rooms, and thankfully, I don’t spot Cole anywhere. I change into black slacks and a clean white button-up before joining Iris in the kitchen.

The moment I lay eyes on her, I'm mesmerized; she looks captivating in my shirt. I feel like I'm falling for her all over again. My wolf stirs within me, urging me to mark her mating spot between her neck and shoulder, but I resist the temptation.

My canines lengthen as I watch her curiously explore the kitchen. She seems fascinated by the black cabinets, the granite countertops, and she even runs her hand over the smart fridge, when it lights at her touch she retracts her hand, as if she's never seen one up close before.

I lean against the wall, taking in the sight of her in front of me. I have to shake my head to clear the possessive thoughts lingering. It's as if I want to lock her up here and keep her forever.

She senses my presence; her body tenses up. Before I know it, I'm standing right behind her, hands on each side, enclosing her between them. Iris turns in my arms, glancing up at me with a sweet smile that I adore. I adore her.

“So, what are you making me? I can help,” she asks innocently.

Now, how could I forget about the cooking part? I don't even remember the last time I had to cook. I hired Mae years ago to help with the cooking and cleaning. Honestly, I'm not accustomed to doing things like this. Not to sound cocky, but girls usually melt at my feet, and none of them ever held my attention long enough for me to even need to try to impress them. But Iris is different; she deserves everything.

I pull out the ingredients for buttered noodles with breaded chicken, knowing that pasta is the best I can manage with my newfound distraction watching my every move. And who could blame me for wanting to keep her forever? It's a foolish thought, perhaps, but one I can't shake. The chicken comes out a little darker in color than I usually prefer, but I'm an Alpha, not a chef, and it doesn’t seem to bother Iris.

As I cook, we talk. I tell her about my work at the Moon Hospital, conveniently leaving out the fact that I built it from the ground up when I took over the pack. This town needed a new medical facility that catered to both werewolves and humans, even if the human population remains oblivious to our kind. I also share stories about my fiery sister Ellie, who may not be my blood sibling, but is just as much family to me. Iris expresses her desire to meet Ellie, unknowingly touching me deeply with her words.

I serve our plates, and the conversation flows effortlessly. Iris opens up about her enrollment in medical school, mentioning that she's just a few credits shy of earning her degree. I refrain from telling her that she's enrolled in the program I sponsor.

When we finish our dinner, we're still seated at the dining table, lost in conversation.

We talk about everything. I ask her everything because I want to know it all. What makes her happy, sad, angry? What makes Iris, Iris?

She talks about her son James a lot. She sounds like the perfect mom, so attentive to James’ needs. She reminds me of my mother too, in the way she speaks about him. My mom always put Cole and me first; she was an amazing mother and Luna, just like Iris will be.

I listen to her intently because I don't want to miss a thing she says. I learn that James’ father left when he was born; d**k. Although my mate having a child with someone else still fills me with jealousy, I can’t help but marvel at the fact that she is doing such an amazing job on her own. One day she will be the best mom to our pups too. I’m sitting here in awe, realizing how kind and independent she is. She is perfect, she was made to be mine, and all this time she was hiding right under my nose. I feel like an asshole again for ever doubting her.

I wash while she dries. She talks, and I listen.

I feel like I'm cut out for this domesticated life, as long as I have it with her.

“Hem-Hem,” Lucian clears his throat.

Jaz and Lucian walk into the kitchen. An older couple in their late fifties, but you’d never be able to guess with how fit they are. Lucian is as loyal as they come; he was my father's Beta and accepted me as his Alpha after my father left. I left him third in command, my Omega.

Most of the mated couples leave the packhouse when they find their mates to start a family. However, Jaz is incapable of having children, so she and Lucian choose to stay in the packhouse.

“Sorry to interrupt, I wasn’t aware that we had company. I'm Jaz.'' Jaz and Iris make small talk as Lucian winks at me. He wraps an arm around his mate and kisses the top of her head while Iris dotes on them.

“How long have you two been married?” Iris’s question makes Jaz laugh, “Married; mated, I guess it’s the same thing.” She smiles over her shoulder at Lucian then looks back at Iris, “It feels like forever, I guess about eight years now? Just a few years before Mace became Alpha...”

“Alright, that's enough stealing my date,” I interject, eager to continue our conversation. “How about we head up to my room and pick up where we left off?”

I apologize Alpha I assumed she knew

Jaz links me as I nod in understanding.

“Oh, sure. It was nice meeting you both,” Iris says, giving them a genuine smile before following me up to my room.

I watch as Iris takes a tour of my bedroom; there isn’t much since I only come in here to sleep. I like it simple and clean. The second she enters my room I wish it wasn't so clean; what if she thinks I am a neat freak?

My black comforter on the bed with the corners tucked military style matches the black nightstands on each side of it. There is no decoration, besides the one framed picture sitting on my dresser of my mother. That seems to catch Iris' attention. She walks over to it and I follow her to stand at her side. “That was my mother, Charlotte.”

I can see the corner of her mouth lift in a gentle smile before she speaks, “I see where you get your eyes from; she’s beautiful.” My mother truly was, with her blond hair, a trait passed down to Cole, and her gray eyes, which I inherited.

Iris sets the frame back down and turns to meet me. My gaze falls upon her heart-shaped lips; they are the perfect shade of pink, and just looking at them pulls me in. I know I have to hold myself back, just until I tell her the truth about me. But my feelings for her are overwhelming, especially being this close, alone in my bedroom.

I wait for her to take a step away from me like she usually does, yet she doesn't. She remains rooted just an inch from my face.

I tilt her chin up, silently asking permission with my eyes.

Pull away Love, I can't stop myself if you don't.

It’s Iris who closes the distance between us and crashes her lips to mine. The connection between us explodes and I feel her relax into me. My restraint breaks, and my hands slip down gently down her body taking it all in. This is f*****g heaven, my tongue hovers at the entrance of her lips, begging for access. She opens her mouth to me and I lose it.